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| CREDIT: Danil Chepko | Dreamstime |
Perhaps there is a bit of truth to the stereotype
about being fat and happy — new research finds that people who have a gene
linked with obesity may have a slightly lower risk of depression.
People who had a version of a gene called the FTO gene
were 8 percent less likely to have depression, researchers found. In 2007,
scientists discovered this version of the FTO gene was a major contributor to genetic obesity among people of European descent. The finding "suggests that
the FTO gene may have a broader role than initially thought, with an effect on
depression and other common psychiatric disorders," the researchers wrote
in their study published today (Nov. 20) in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
The researchers said the findings challenge the idea
that obesity and depression are generally linked. Some have suggested that obese people become depressed
because of their appearance and discrimination, while people with depression
may become less active and change their eating habits to cope with their
illness. "The difference of 8 percent is modest, and it won't make a big
difference in the day-to-day care of patients," study researcher David
Meyre, associate professor in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics at
McMaster University in Canada, said in a statement. "But, we have
discovered a novel molecular basis for depression," Meyre said.
The researchers looked at data gathered on more than
17,000 people who participated in a genetics study between 2001 and 2003. About
3,200 of the participants had depression. The researchers further supported the
link they found by analyzing data on genes of patients in three additional
large international studies. Still, further studies are needed to confirm the
findings, they said. Previous studies of families have suggested that 40
percent of the risk of depression comes from genetics, the researchers said.
However, attempts to find specific genes associated with depression have not
produced convincing evidence so far, according to the study. This finding is
important because about 9 percent of U.S. adults have depression at any given
time, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Source: My health news
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